"I don't know how we're gonna wire the pool for under-the-stars swims," J.L. said, rubbing tension out of his neck.
"You're not," Carlos muttered, "unless you silver line the hole in the ground, which means excavation and then putting in a whole new pool - or else Amanthras will be swimming in there with - "
Krissy's squeal made the group hustle down the deck, and to Carlos's dismay, the Realtor had walked the ladies past the sauna, hot tub, and spa area with multishowerhead stalls and a changing room to a ground-level technology room.
"This is what I call the engine room, folks," the Realtor said with a triumphant grin. "The master controls for all air-conditioning and heating zones are here, the indoor sprinkler systems, sump pumps, motion detectors, plumbing, pool filters, multiple garage door openers, lawn sprinklers, you name it." He walked over to several flat screens and flipped a switch in the large ten-by-twelve open area. "Each system can be monitored by grounds crews with wireless intercoms from the main house - all bedrooms are wired, as well as the kitchen and family room, and the complete grounds can be seen by flipping through zones. The mainframe is on its own backup generator with direct alarms to police and fire and - "
"J.L., J.L., look at this!" Krissy said at a pitch that might shatter glass. "It's all here, one room - our room, oh, J.L. look at it, do you know what we could do with the basic technology they have in here?"
Carlos just sighed. Another good man lost to the cause of negotiating. In the far recesses of his mind he'd heard the Realtor balk about it being basic technology in the room, but he was trying to keep his eyes on Damali. However, he threw in the towel when she saw the theater and studio. He couldn't even fake it, when she'd spun around in the studio screaming, his eyes were near silver.
"You're flickering at the edges, brother," Shabazz muttered with a grin, teasing Carlos as they passed into the next room.
But Shabazz couldn't even play it off when they all walked into a huge, blond-oak-floored dance studio where the floors gleamed like glass. Mirrors and dance bars rimmed the room on three sides, but the fourth side was a wall entirely of glass that faced the mountain landscape. Marlene put both hands together in a silent prayer and mouthed the words
Thank you. When she opened her eyes the look she gave Shabazz made him slowly hold on to one of the bars for support.
"This is a perfect training room," Marlene said quietly - and that was all she said as she left the room.
Shabazz looked at Rider. "I know. Don't say it."
Rider held up both hands. "My turn is coming. I'm not hatin', as the youngbloods say." Before they could get out another complaint, Marjorie's enraptured voice made them hurry to help their fallen comrade, Berkfield.
"Oh, Richard... look at this family room - it's like a dream...what we used to always say we'd do if we hit the lottery."
Berkfield just opened his arms as his wife filled them and hid her face. He nodded and rubbed her back as she took in and released deep, shuddering breaths.
"We're so blessed," she whispered. "Our children ..."
"I know, honey, I know, don't cry ..."
"Ohhhh ... Richard."
"I guess by now you know we're buying the house, right?" Carlos said from a side whisper, glimpsing Dan.
"Yeah, it's a matter of points and price at this juncture." Carlos scoffed. "Yeah, right, even if I could negotiate in Dananu our position is compromised."
"I heard that, Rivera," Damali said, threading her arm around his waist. "Why are you guys always like this - except when you're at the car dealerships?" He smiled and allowed her to pull him along. "Because y'all are always like we are here at the car dealerships. Bored and watching for sticker shock."
"We are not," Damali fussed.
"Are too," Carlos said laughing, and then had to simply shake his head when Jasmine saw the private bonsai gardens and meditation paths that had been created outside each bedroom suite.
It was such a sweet kill that Carlos saw it happen in slow motion. Jasmine covered her mouth, then closed her eyes, and walked toward Bobby blindly and hugged him. She didn't say a word; Bobby's face spoke volumes for her. Two down, felled by one garden and a carp pool. The thing was, Shabazz wasn't far behind them, just like Big Mike was having trouble breathing in the kitchen, probably imagining what Inez could whip up for him in there while wearing a teddy. J.L. had been lost on the ground floor forty minutes ago, just like Berkfield was lost somewhere between the thirty-foot cathedral ceiling of the sunken living room and the walk-in fireplace of the family rec room that had broken Marjorie down into tears. They had already called "man down" for Jose, when Juanita saw the pool. As far as Carlos was concerned, the only brothers still holding the negotiating line were him, Dan, and Rider.
At least that's the way he'd envisioned it until the Realtor pointed out that the house was set on seven acres of pristine land with stables, should they want horses. Carlos thought for sure he'd seen Tara's knees buckle and Rider catch her around the waist as she simply stared out at the mountain.
"All of that's ours?" Tara whispered, the sale obviously al ready final in her mind.
"Untouched land the way it was meant to be ... free."
"All the way down to the beach and personal yacht docks," the Realtor said proudly. Rider didn't swallow hard; he practically gulped as she turned to him and signed "man with a good heart" over his chest.
"Remember those days in Arizona, trying to get there across all that country?"
"Yeah," Rider said in a gravelly voice. "All that wild lavender in the wind." Too done, Carlos walked away. The Realtor was fingering his Montblanc pen like it was a switchblade.
Seeming pleased, their Realtor prattled on. "We can walk the grounds at your leisure to see the tennis courts and golf driving range in a bit, but I think you might enjoy seeing how we've designed private quarters for sixteen guests at a time - and yet some of the rooms could be turned into offices, quite naturally - even though we do have a central technology area on the second floor."